Gardner late out after warm-up mishap, Kiwis to bat first

Ashleigh Gardner has been ruled out of the opening T20I in Mackay at the last minute following a warm-up mishap, adding to a list of injury blows for both Australia and New Zealand.

The White Ferns will bat first in the opening match of the three-game series at Great Barrier Reef Arena and will be led by Suzie Bates with skipper Sophie Devine to miss the game as she continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Gardner suffered a hit in the jaw as a result of a collision with teammate Georgia Wareham during a warm-up game, with Heather Graham called into the XI in her place.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Heather Graham, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck

 

New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates (c), Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze (wk), Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Molly Penfold, Fran Jonas

Grace Harris and Kim Garth meanwhile have both been ruled out of the three-game series due to injury, but Australia are optimistic the pair will recover in time for next month’s T20I World Cup.

Garth remains on the recovery trail from an injury to her left knee sustained at the back end of The Hundred, and while the quick has resumed training she will not be available until Australia arrive in the UAE.

Harris, who was ruled out of The Hundred with a significant left calf injury, has been handed a setback, sustaining a very low-grade right calf strain earlier this week, but all going well will also be available in time for the World Cup.

Devine meanwhile has been recovering from an ankle injury sustained late in The Hundred season.

On the eve of Thursday’s game she told reporters: "I've been on a bit of a pathway in terms of making sure that I'm right with the World Cup and we're trying to make sure that we monitor that.

"The body's getting a little bit older now, so we just need to be a bit careful, but I'm certainly looking on track for this series."

Australia have made two changes to their most recent T20I XI that played Bangladesh back in early April, with Tayla Vlaeminck coming into the XI in place of Harris alongside the inclusion of Graham.

Darcie Brown and Alana King are the other squad members to miss alongside Harris and Garth.

The series is a chance for both Australia and New Zealand to fine tune ahead of the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next month.

Australia have not played an international series since the end of their tour of Bangladesh, while the White Ferns need to turn around a difficult nine months that has seen them lose 11 of their last 13 matches in the shortest format.

CommBank T20I Series v New Zealand   

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu 

First T20: September19, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 7.10pm

Second T20: September 22, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 7.10pm

Third T20: September 24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 7.10pm